International technology group Andritz and PulPac AB, the Swedish pioneer in dry moulded fibre technology, have entered into a strategic partnership to serve the alternative packaging market with their complementary expertise.

Dry moulded fibre is a nearly waterless process for moulding cellulose fibres into three-dimensional products for packaging. These include coffee lids, cutlery, trays and other food-grade items, as well as a wide range of products for non-food applications. Made from wood pulp, these recyclable and biodegradable products are becoming increasingly important in replacing single-use plastic items, the company said in a press release.

The cooperation will combine PulPac’s dry moulded fibre technology with Andritz’s expertise in turnkey pulp mills and web forming processes (airlaid and mill-to-web) as well as converting and recycling technologies. As a result, Andritz will now be able to offer complete dry moulded fibre lines, further expanding its broad portfolio of sustainable solutions.

“This partnership with PulPac enables us to engineer economically viable and resource-saving solutions for dry moulded fibre products that contribute to the reduction of single-use plastics. This is perfectly in line with our commitment to driving the green transition,” Andreas Lukas, division manager, nonwoven & textile at Andritz, said.

“Teaming up with Andritz unlocks great potential by combining our innovative technology with Andritz’s know-how and experience, especially in forming, converting and recycling technologies. We look forward to building on our partnership and continuing to scale sustainable packaging solutions together,” Viktor Börjesson, COO of PulPac AB, said.

This partnership strengthens the existing successful collaboration between Andritz and PulPac. Several industrial lines using PulPac’s dry moulded fibre technology and strategic components from Andritz are already in operation.